How to Repair Corrupt PST Files in Outlook 2003, 2007, 2010, 2013 ?

A few days ago, one of my clients send me an oversized PST file of Microsoft Outlook via email. Now, I am unable to open it in Outlook. I tried many manual tricks as a solution such as disabling the add-ins, opening Outlook in safe mode, or by running scanpst.exe but did not get satisfactory results. Therefore, I just want to know is there any way through which I can repair corrupt PST file- Outlook 2013? It is really important for me, please suggest me a solution.

Microsoft Outlook is used by most of the business organizations for email communication and exchange of information. As it is a pretty much popular email application so, users must be aware of the PST file format supported by Outlook to store mailbox data. All data items like emails, contacts, calendars, tasks, notes, etc., are stored in it. But at the end, it is like other file formats and very much prone to corruption. PST file can also become damaged or corrupted due to many reasons like large size PST file, virus or malware infection, sudden shutdown, etc. However, if Outlook data file (.pst) gets corrupted, it becomes inaccessible and slows down the performance of Outlook. Thus, to get access back to the PST file data, it is really important to repair damaged PST file as soon as possible.

How Does a PST File get Corrupted?

There are multiple reasons that result corruption in PST file. At this point, the Outlook data file stops working normally and a user is unable to access the data inside it. Here, are some of the major reasons behind corrupt PST file:

• Oversized Outlook PST File
  Every version of Microsoft Outlook has different PST file size limitation. For example, Outlook 2002 and below versions has to file size limit of 2 GB only. But, as the time passes, the need of space will increase because of large data communications. In this case, the size of PST file will exceed and results in file corruption.
• Hardware Related Damage
  Any type of physical damage to the sectors where PST file is stored can cause also damage PST file badly.
• Abnormal Termination of Outlook
  Another possible reason can be an abrupt shutdown of Microsoft Outlook application. If a user is working on Outlook and in between, it terminates due to some reason, then it is possible that PST file is not saved properly. So, when a user tries to open PST file next time, then it may display some errors.
• Virus & Malware Attack
  As everybody knows, no device in the world is totally free from virus or malware so is the PST file. It might be possible that a user has opened an email containing virus-infected attachment. After that, virus or malware enters the Outlook application, corrupt the PST file and make it inaccessible.

How to Repair Corrupt Outlook PST File?

When it comes to recover severely damaged PST file, there are various solutions available. Here, we have discussed both manual and professional solution for the same:

Solution #1: Using Inbox Repair Tool

If a user is looking for some manual solutions to repair corrupt PST file, then Microsoft provides an inbuilt utility named as Inbox Repair tool. It is a free utility that is designed to repair all common issues like corruption faced by the Outlook users. Now, to run this scanpst.exe in a proper way, follow the steps mentioned below:

1. To start the process, you need to locate scanpst.exe application in the Microsoft Outlook. Now, to find scanpst.exe location within the system, follow the steps mentioned below:

• First of all, right-click on the TaskBar and then, click on the Task Manager
• After that, click on the Processes tab
• Next, simply right-click on the Outlook and choose Open File Location. It will open the window containing the scanpst.exe file

Now, you have to double-click on the scanpst.exe file

Then, click on the Browse button to locate and add corrupt PST file, which needs to repair

At last, click on the Start button in order to begin the repair process.

Limitations: The scanpst.exe can be used only to repair minor level of corruption from PST file. However, in the case of severely damaged PST file, this manual procedure fail badly. Thus, in the case of badly corrupt Outlook data file, look for some alternative solution.

Solution #2: Professional Solution to Repair Severely Damaged PST File

There is no manual solution available that a user can try to have a guaranteed solution while repairing a PST file. Thus, in the case of badly damaged PST file, a user is suggested to use a third-party tool. Outlook PST Repair software is one of the popularly used tools across the world to repair corrupted PST file. It is a simple, quick, and reliable application to recover PST file of Microsoft Outlook. Using this application, one can repair all data items like emails, contacts, calendars, etc. stored inside the PST file. Moreover, the software is also capable to repair both minor and major level of corruption from PST file.

Conclusion

Corruption in PST file is one of the frequently encountered problems by any Outlook user. As PST file stores a large amount of important information which no wants to lose at any cost. So, if Outlook PST file gets corrupted because of any reason, then it is really important for the user to repair it as soon as possible. Therefore, this blog will let users know how to repair highly corrupted or damaged PST file of Microsoft Outlook. If the manual solution does not work according to the requirement, then the third-party tool suggested above will be a savior.